Spencer Nelson is Senior Research Director at ClearPath. He leads ClearPath’s research on the cheapest path to energy system decarbonization. Spencer works with industry, national labs and other stakeholders to develop insights that guide both ClearPath’s work and broader carbon mitigation advocacy efforts.
Prior to this role, Spencer worked for Chairman Lisa Murkowski on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where he was the lead on all the Committee’s clean energy and climate activities. He was a lead architect of the Energy Act of 2020, which is the first comprehensive energy legislation enacted in over a decade and comprises over 40 different clean energy bills.
Before his stint on the Hill, Spencer worked at ClearPath for four years during which he held multiple roles. Most significantly, he managed ClearPath’s work on nuclear energy, energy innovation, and international engagement as a Policy Program Director.
Before that, Spencer worked on state-level solar policy and conducted environmental genetics research at both UNC Chapel Hill and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
